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Owen Jones on BBC Question Time

Appearing on BBC Question Time last night, Owen Jones attacked the government's Health Reform Bill, stating that the "Tories have absolutely no mandate for what they're doing to our NHS", as well as slamming New Labour for "laying the foundations" for the privatisation of the health service.

As unemployment figures near the 3 million mark, Jones was one of the few voices of the panel (which featured Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, Lib Dem peer Baroness Kramer, Lord Prescott and businesswoman Julie Meyer) to oppose the governments policy of harsh austerity measures, emphasising that the "austerity agenda has disastrously failed" and said the UK should look towards America for policies of public stimulus to relieve unemployment. When Meyer responded by praising a new entrepreneurial spirit that she hopes will boost economic growth, Jones pointed out that entrepreneurship is meaningless if there is no demand in the economy.

The panellists also covered issues of elected police commisioners (a position Lord Prescott is planning to stand for), Baroness Warsi's warnings of a rise of aggressive, militant secularism, and Scottish devolution.